On The Brink of Life and Death
by Lady Lilith La Belle
Summary: A girl with a job at SHEILD has a history you wouldn't believe. She's always wondered why she always feels pain. Emotional. Physical. Psychological. Her memory only goes back to three years prior and she's only 19 years old. Yet through all of this, she is still able to love: herself, family, and friends. Bucky B./OC, Pietro M./OC, Loki/OC, Wanda M., Avengers
1. Prolouge

On the Brink of Life and Death

Prolouge

When I first heard that eerie sounds of the night air, a small shiver went through my body. It was my first night in this big and rather strange city. My parents died two years ago in the midst of the New York alien invasion. They were in New York for work and unfortunately, they were among the few that died that day. The Avengers worked hard to fight the aliens, but not every citizen was fortunate to escape with their life. My decision to move to the city where they died was closure. I was supposed to be with them that day. They forced me to stay home at the very last minute. Without them, I was faced with the fact that I had no one else. It seems that I've lost everyone I've loved.

Turning my room light on, I observe to find which of the many moving boxes in my room contained my CD's. But I found my clothes box and became entranced. My body felt mechanical as I began taking out each piece of clothing and placing them accordingly in my closet and drawers. This apartment felt smaller compared to the size of my parents house. Yet, then again, the house felt entirely too big without them. Only when I finished with my clothes did I find my box of CD's. Opening the box, I took out my CD player and one of my mix CD's. As I let the CD play on shuffle, I felt a little calmer but my apartment felt densely hot. Once I felt the chilly summer air breeze into my room, I welcomed the sound of sirens to my ears. Though they were distant, it took my mind off of my parents. Looking up at the New York sky, I saw no stars. The lights were shining too bright in the city to allow it.

Ever since the day the aliens tried and failed to invade our planet, things changed. I trained in fighting more harshly, I would let any alien try to kill, control, or enslave me without a fight. Turning my head to observe the city, I could see the Stark tower illuminated a few block from my apartment. But I immediately noticed something was glass in the up-most portions of the tower was shattered and a metal figure was retreating fast into the dark night. In my gut, I knew that whatever that thing was, was not Tony Stark and that it is very dangerous. Stepping away from the window, I glanced at my clock to see that it was 12:42am. Tomorrow is a big day for me. I'll just ask about what I saw when I report to my new job at S.H.E.I.L.D.

 **I will update this story weekly or every other week if possible. I am in school and I have a lot of work to do. So if I don't post a new chapter each week, don't panic. Sometimes I will post every two weeks...or three.** **Updating times will vary.** **Enjoy my rendition (fanfiction) of Avengers: Age of Ultron and feel free to leave reviews. Eventually will fall into Captain America: Civil War.**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Risky New Job

The following morning, I woke up at 5:44am. Today is my first day working for S.H.I.E.L.D as the new pilot for the Avengers. That's only 16, with the bachelor's degree in genetics in military training, let's just say I'm not your average teenager. I remember the day that my parents adopted me from the hospital in Baltimore. I had and still do not have any preexisting memories from before they found me. It didn't take them long to notice might be axed knowledge. They convinced me to take some tests and I have one of the best types use in this country, maybe even to world. It was only three years ago that I was placed into an ivy league school. It was so proud of me, especially since my older brother and sister left us only a month after I joined their family. They are adopted as well and we lived in Russia at the time. It didn't take me more than a week to master the language. My brother and sister were pretty active in protest against STARK industries. They never explained why it to me, but I could see that he and that eyes when I brought it up. When they live so suddenly, it hit my parents can I hard. It was like a deja vu moment for me, not that I told my parents that. They could not report my brother and sister missing, they were technically adults. My parents told me that they were twins and that they would always welcome them back if they came to us. At our parents funeral, I had hoped they would come, but they didn't. I never had a way as telling them anyway.

I had to adjust myself in the S.H.I.E.L.D uniform that was mailed to me and we are a pair of black jeans with my AC/DC t-shirt. With my music back and its box, I headed down to my car. As an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, I am required to live at the nearest base of operations. In New York, that libido newly designed STARK tower. All of my major necessities were already in my car. I took a deep breath before I left, once I leave this apartment, my life goal is to protect the world and the Avengers. With the door handle in my hand, that was my wrist and leave for my new life.

XXX

My arrival at STARK tower, or S.H.I.E.L.D. tower… or whatever tower, was interesting. Agents escorted me into the building while someone park my car. They told me that an easy it would bring my stuff to my room. I was taken to a room that was already full. First, I saw María Hill, she's the one that interviewed and hired me in the first place. She nodded for me to enter. Every pair of eyes in a room shifted to me as soon as I stepped into the room. There was Natasha Romanoff next to Clint Barton, Bruce Banner next and Tony Stark, and Captain America AKA Steve Rogers next to the demigod Thor. Thor looked at me with wide eyes, but I ignored it. It took me a second to realize there is someone else in the room as well. He stood in the back corner, just some only to Thor. His eyes were wide as well as the stared at me.

"Everyone, this is Daphne Hecate Reynolds. Daphne, this is everyone."

"Daphne!" The man in the corner echoed Agent Hill. Agent Hill nodded,

"Yes, she is our new pilot and she will be assisting Stark and Banner in their lab and any experiments from now on. She is only 19 years old and has a Bachelor's in genetics. Agent Reynolds passed at the top of her class and has high military training. Officially, she was declared a child prodigy. We are exceptionally lucky to have her, especially after last night."

Tony Stark spun around in his chair,

"So, you assigned a teenage genius to babysit a millionaire-genius and rage doctor?"

Practically everyone in the room rolled their eyes. I crossed my arms over my chest and pointedly responded,

"I may be a teenager Mr. Stark, but so far, my profile is quite compatible to yours and then some. We both went to the same university and had most of the same professors. Many of them compared me to you and they said that I was far more sharp than you were on a good day. So, who knows, Stark Enterprise could become D.H.R. Enterprise in a few years."

Now everyone smirked and so did Stark. He held his hands up in defense. Agent Romanoff debriefed me,

"Last night, we had an unknown asset come out of containment. It destroyed JARVIS, our intelligence system and beholder of Stark's business. It goes by Ultron. He threatened to wipe out all of the Avengers. It is in the internet, so we must be careful. He will know all of our plans if we were to do them electronically."

Hearing that the Avengers lives were at risk put me into business mode. Before I could say my input on the issue, Dr. Banner interjected,

"Tony and I was designing him to help save lives and escort civilians out of harms way whenever an attack like the one in New York happens again. We were trying to perfect artificial intelligence to advance security technology. We can't find him...especially without JARVIS. Ultron destroyed him."

It was at that moment that the man in the corner burst out in anger,

"This is precisely why you two should've let Thor and I take my scepter to Asgard! Even if we destroy Ultron, we still have to keep in mind that the being that LENT me that scepter in the first place will want my head."

"Loki! Now is not the time!" Steve hushed Loki. So, this is the man who opened the portal to those aliens who ultimately killed my adoptive parents. He's just lucky he switched to the Avengers side and helped defeat his alien army. Loki had a dark look on his face, but he said nothing else. He glanced at me, but turned his gaze to the ground around him. Thor was still staring at me, but addressed me directly,

"If you feel that this ordeal is too much-"

I cut him off by strongly replying,

"I would be more than happy to help you guys. You are the Avengers. Besides, what other job do you know that provides a view like this of New York and allows me to utilize my talents."

I smiled at them and we then began to strategize on where Ultron could be, what he needs, what he could be doing, and what he could be planning.

 **I know that this chapter is short, but I have most of this story hand-written and I am editing and adding details as I type each chapter. Some of the chapters are long in my hand written version, so I decided to split this chapter to focus on editing each portion as best as possible. Updating times will vary. And I am making changes to my OC's age as well**


	3. Chapter 2: Abandonded

Chapter 2: Abandoned

Maria and I stood at the front of the table still as we all discussed Ultron. Clint suggested that he could've gone to HYDRA for help. But I was quick to justify why that wouldn't be reasonable.

"Ultron is an alpha figure. He isn't a beta or omega, it's his way or the highway only. He craves for followers to be by his side for aid. He wants to lead. Now, from what you all have told me, he has access to every file on HYDRA. However, that doesn't mean that is who he's getting help from. At the last attack your team made on HYDRA you said that there were people who were experiments fighting for HYDRA. You call them Enhanced. Ultron will want anyone willing to defeat you guys. If I were him, I'd get those Enhanced to fight on my side."

Everyone thought deeply about what I had said. Stark was nodding his head absentmindedly. Turning to Maria, who was still standing beside me, I asked,

"Agent Hill, do you still have the files on the enhanced?"

Nodding, she extended her hand towards Natasha. It was then I noticed that everyone seemed to have multiple files in front of them. Natasha handed hers to Maria who handed them to me. Opening the file, I was prepared to read about people captured and forced into testing or criminals that joined forces with HYDRA. That is NOT what I found. My heart stopped beating for a good ten seconds. My hands started trembling as I read the files. The picture on the top left corner of the two profiles haunted me. Had I not caught myself, I would've tumbled to the ground screaming. Though their hair was longer. Though his hair was now silver. Though I hadn't seen them in over 4 years. I recognized those two faces instantly. Pietro and Wanda Maximoff. My adoptive older brother and sister. They are the enhanced. The hurt and shock must have been evident on my face because, now Agent Hill and Dr. Banner were at my side,

"What is it Daphne?"

Instead of answering, I placed to file on the table and placed my hand on my forehead. Taking in a few breaths, I replied,

"I know them. I knew them. They are my adoptive brother and sister. They left over 4 years ago without a note or trace. I haven't heard or seen them since...not even at our adoptive parents funeral two years ago."

All of the Avengers and Agent Hill was silenced. Trying to calm myself, I picked up the file and kept reading through it. My heart ached when I saw in black letters 'VOLUNTEERED.' They left- No, they abandoned our parents and me to be experiments. When I saw that their birth parents were killed in Sokovia by a STARK missile that was launched into their complex, I was enraged, but not at Tony. Did they actually think that Tony launched that missile? I knew there was active protests against STARK Industries at the time. Could this be what they were protesting for? It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Tony couldn't possibly have given the order to strike a missile. He never had that authority over his weapons. Stark only invented, designed, and upgraded weapons even before he became Iron Man. They left us for revenge against an innocent man. Steve suddenly took me out of my thoughts.

"How come there wasn't any details about you or your adoptive parents in their file?"

"I don't know. I was only living with them and our parents for a month when they left. Maybe they just never told HYDRA about us. It was only a few days before my first day of college that they left. It was so sudden and there was no warning."

"They want their revenge," Tony stated. I immediately defended him,

"Mr. Stark, you have done many things in your life, both good and bad. But, I know that you are not at fault for what happened to their parents. it was beyond your control. They, however, don't see it that way and they would never take your word for it. If and when I see them, I will do my best to get through to them, I will make them listen."

Natasha then addressed the whole table,

"Both Pietro and Wanda Maximoff will be hard to handle in battle. Ultron won't just stop with them by his side. He needs something else. Something to make him stronger. Ultron needs a new body."

Dr. Banner continued on that note,

"He left here as scraps last night. He has the contacts and knows all the whereabouts of the material needed to repair himself, if he hasn't fixed himself already. He'll seek out the strongest metal-"

He stopped and his gaze snapped to Captain America's shield. Everyone caught on, Steve replied,

"Stark, I thought your father got all of that metal to make my shield."

"He did, but that was almost a century ago. More has most likely been produced and extracted since then. There is only one sight in the world where it can be found, and it's in the jurisdiction of a corrupt and dangerous man. But with Pietro and Wanda by his side, getting it won't be a problem."

Stark amplified his voice as he clasped his hands together,

"Alrighty, everyone, it seems that we are going on a trip to South Africa. Be ready within the hour. Daphne, if the twins are there, I hope they listen to you. You're coming with us."

The Avengers and I disbanded, leaving the room to collect weapons and such. Thor and Loki were among the last to leave the room. Agent Hill was still by my side. The two Asgardians eyed me in confusion as her and I left. Hill quickly escorted me to the weapons vault. I grabbed four fully loaded handguns with four extra rounds of bullets to reload, two daggers, a stun gun, and a short and long hand whip. I didn't get all that high military training for nothing. As I began making my way to the jet, an agent approached me with my iPod. He told me that I should take it in case I get any nerves on the way there. I took my iPod, thanked the agent, and continued to the jet. When I got on board, I saw that I was the first to arrive, I guess I didn't have to rush after all. Getting into my station as the pilot, I thoroughly checked the systems. By time I finished, I noticed that Loki had boarded and was strapped in already. Nodding my head at him as acknowledgement, Loki only stared at me as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Prince Loki, are you alright?"

I'd heard plenty about Loki over the past few years. I read his file and the other Avengers as well once I had accepted this job. My mind knew better than to trust this trickster, but I knew he wasn't about that life anymore. I do know that he can be trusted in battle, if Thor trusts him, so can I.

"Oh, I am fine. I just don't wish any harm upon you on this mission. It's still just your first day after all."

Turning my chair around to face him, I replied,

"I knew what I agreed to do and what I am risking by taking on this job. I'm am more than ready."

Loki nodded. He looked into my eyes the entire time I spoke and once I was finished he went into a blank state. I couldn't tell what he was thinking but I knew he wouldn't say anything else so I began to turn back around. Not a moment later,Natasha and Clint came onto the jet and I stopped. When they saw how geared up I was they smiled. Natasha stood beside me, looking at the controls,

"Hey, Daphne, if I run out of ammo, lend me a gun."

"Can do. I would've brought a machine gun but I couldn't find a way to strap it to my body."

That made them laugh.

"So, you like the big guns?" Clint asked me.

"Oh yeah. I've been trained to use just about every gun, war machine, and knife there is."

Natasha pointed to my whips which were wrapped around my waist.

"What about those?"

I shrugged,

"When in doubt, let it whip."

"Language!" Tony , I saw that everyone had now boarded the ship and were smiling, even Loki.

"Okay everyone let's rock n' roll to South Africa."

Everyone got into a seat and Clint took the co-pilot seat next to me. He looked focused and ready to go.

"Engines ready. Wind is going at 10 mph southeast. Clear skies all the way out. Oh, I brought my iPod if you guys don't mind some music to get in the zone."

No one protested. I connected my iPod to a port and let it play on shuffle. As soon as the jet was airborne, That Power by Will. ft. Justin Bieber started. Although everyone was nodding to the beat and there was a small smile on my face, I had one thought on my mind….

Will Pietro and Wanda hate me for working with Tony Stark?

 **Updating times will vary. I apologize for long delays.**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Enemy of My Enemy are My Heroes, But the Enemy has My Brother and Sister on His Side

It was almost sunset when I landed the jet in South Africa. We landed behind some trees for coverage, just outside of the city. It was confirmed through the voice recognition program on the jet that Ultron was on the big ship on the beach, along with the twins. With everyone geared up and ready to go, we infiltrated the ship. Ultron was in the middle of a tantrum,

"Do not compare me to that egotistic man. Stark is a menace-"

"Oh, you're gonna break your old man's heart," Tony interjected.

Pietro and Wanda glared at him, but made no move. All the Avengers and I outnumbered the three of them, but with their powers and henchmen around them, we were outmatched. The twins continued to glare at each Avenger until they saw me and did a double take. All my underlying anger came at once and so did our fight. Ultron attacked Tony and everyone started fighting. Except Wanda, she slipped into the shadows somewhere. Armed men who were guarding the cradle, metal box containing the vibranium, came at us as well. Pietro upper-cut Steve and everyone was moving in a haste to make sure the cradle didn't go with Ultron. But everyone's fight did not stay by the cradle. We were all moving around and soon all I could see were bad guys coming at me. They probably thought I was an easy target, being that I was new and human without a power. I wasn't known like Natasha, Clint, Tony, or Bruce. They didn't know what hit them. I'd lost only one gun when Pietro came out of nowhere and knocked out all the guys around me except for the one I was currently fighting. Pietro looked at me furiously,

"Что ты здесь делаешь Дафне? С ними? С ним?"

 _What are you doing here Daphne? With them? With him?_

I didn't answer right away. I shot my opponent whom was still coming at me in the temple before I replied,

"I work for S.H.I.E.L.D. now. Don't you dare criticize me, Maximoff. At least S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't perform experiments illegally."

Pietro looked at me with shock and confusion to see that I'd killed that man without batting an eye and that I had threw shade at him. It's a tough world we live in though, you gotta do what you need to do to survive and if that means collateral damage then so be it. I continued,

"Look, I read what happened to you and Wanda. It wasn't Tony's fault. He only designed the weapons! He didn't deploy that missile! Tony's only job was to design not use the weapons himself."

Pietro only scoffed, being the stubborn man he is,

"How could you know, Daphne? You are only child."

My temper flared,

"I'm 16 years old, Pietro. I guess you wouldn't know that, being that you and Wanda haven't seen me in four years! I thought you two were someone I could count on. I thought we were a family. But family doesn't abandon each other and YOU ABANDONED ME!"

As I spoke I felt a spark of something deep in my mind. But the spark went away just as quick as it came. Pietro flinched at my words and quickly replied,

"We were going to come back to you and our parents after we finished our business with Stark."

"Oh, please. Do you honestly believe that HYDRA would've let you two leave? You two are successful experiments. In their eyes, you are their property. Didn't you ever hear about the Winter Soldier? How they brainwashed him of his memories, made him forget his own best friend, my teammate, Captain America. Do you think they wouldn't have done the same to you and Wanda. Do you honestly think that all Ultron wants is to kill the Avengers?! Our parents always believed that you two would come back. It would've been really nice if they'd been able to see you before they died."

At that, Pietro's face softened,

"They are gone?"

I nodded,

"It was three years ago...in New York, and no, it was not the Avengers fault. Many lives were saved because of them. I know you and Wanda want revenge, but Tony is not to blame. He may have designed that missile, but he didn't fire it."

Pietro just shook his head, looking distant,

"Pietro..." I began. His head snapped towards me but his eyes fell on someone behind me.

"No, Wanda don't!"

I turned around instantly to face her. Her eyes held mine in shock. Regret was evident in her expression. My eyes were closing and my body felt heavy. I could feel myself falling and then nothing.

Pietro's P-O-V

I caught Daphne in my arms before she was even close to the ground. Wanda has never rendered anyone unconscious with her powers before.

"What the hell, Wanda?"

She looked at Daphne in shock,

"I didn't mean to do it. I didn't realize it was her. She was only supposed to see her worst nightmare, not pass out."

"She is clearly unconscious!"

Wanda shook her head and had a confused look on her face,

"What is she even doing here with them?"

I took her hand and let her enter my mind. After a few moments, everything was clear to my sister. Wanda pulled away with a sad expression, tears in both of our eyes. We were disappointed in ourselves. Taking Daphne and laying her carefully on the ground, I whispered to my twin,

"Are we doing the right thing? Going for revenge cost us four years we could've spent with our baby sister and adoptive parents."

We stood there for a moment. The battle still going on on another part on the ship. Echoes of gunshots and grunts from punches rung through the metal halls. I looked at Wanda,

"She killed these men. She didn't even hesitate. She didn't look bothered."

There were bodies all around us, some unconscious and others were dead. I didn't kill any of them. I hate that she had to kill them, had I came to her aid sooner, all of these men could be alive. Though she can handle herself, this is not how I want her to do it. She shouldn't always go for the kill. Even though we were only with her a month before we left, we all bonded. It was as if she was our sister in every way except by blood. I hate that we missed out on every moment she experienced the past four years. I wish I'd been there to comfort her after our adoptive parents had died. There are so many regrets. I didn't get to do many things with her that I did with Wanda because we left.

"Come brother. We must continue with our plan. I don't want her to get hurt, but we will do what we can to protect her from our side. We must go, there's one more left to give nightmares."

Loki's P-O-V

So, that witch's trick didn't work on Daphne, as she calls herself now. I stepped out of the shadows and took my angel into my arms. It feels so good to have her in my arms again. Seeing her at S.H.I.E.L.D. was a complete surprise. We all thought she was dead on Asgard. Only Thor and I know that she is of Asgard, well, she's half Asgardian. That witch's spell or magic power must've not worked because Daphne already lived her worst nightmare and she has nothing left to fear. Looking at the unconscious girl in my arms, she doesn't stir. If I couldn't see that she was indeed breathing, I'd think the was dead. Walking through the metal hallways, I ran into Agent Barton, who had Natasha in his arms. Daphne looked peaceful; whereas, Agent Romanoff was mumbling in Russian and her eyes were wide open. By time we got to the jet, we saw Thor helping Steve into a seat. I could tell Thor had been under the witch's spell and he was the first to come out of it. Steve seemed to be coming to his senses. The shadows had worked to my advantage, that witch never even knew I was there. It's not easy to trick the God of Mischief. Having a quick look around, I noticed we were missing two of our Avengers,

"Where is Stark and Banner?"

Thor shrugged his shoulders and sat with a thud, his eyes glazed over. My brother was in deep thought about something. It was Barton who replied, rubbing his face in his hands,

"The girl, Wanda, got to the other guy and Stark went after him. She tried to get to me, but I stopped her and her brother, Speedy, came and I guess that's when they went after Banner. I see she didn't catch you. But, what did they do to Daphne? I thought she said they wouldn't harm her."

Barton's temper was beginning to show, I put it to rest,

"I over heard them. They are starting to second guess revenge, Daphne did get through to them. They didn't try to hurt Daphne, but the girl used her power to give Daphne a nightmare before realizing it was Daphne she was harming. Once she did; however, she regretted it and it instead knocked Daphne unconscious. They love Daphne, anyone can see that. But they are sticking to whatever plan they have."

Thor sighed loudly,

"We can't stay here, we have failed. But we must wait for Stark and Banner. Clint, you are our pilot again for the time being. Brother..."

Clint was in the pilot chair, Natasha was seated next to Steve who was two seats away from Daphne. Laying my angel across three seats, I went over to my brother. Honestly, I am glad that Thor was able to get through to me and that we worked thing sout. Even though we were never blood brothers, we reignited the brotherly connection we had.

"What is it Thor?"

Sitting on the opposite side of the others, Thor whispered,

"Should we tell the others about Daphne's true identity?"

"If we do, we would have to tell her as well. This is her clean slate. I don't want her to go through all of that pain again. She's happy here, even though she still loses the people she loves, this place befits her."

"Loki. You two were best friends once and maybe if we reform our friendly bonds with her, it will be easier to tell her."

I shook my head,

"You know all too well that my relationship with Drea was more than friendly. And I am making this decision because I was her friend and I understood her better than anyone. She was with me then and only then. She has changed and I don't want to get in the way of her happiness."

Thor nudged me,

"You were her happiness brother. You may try to play it off, but I can see that you still care for her."

"Of course I do. She is a major part of why I joined the Avengers and changed sides in the first place. I remember how we'd talk for hours about Midgard. She loved the dancing and adored many things here."

We both turned to observe Daphne. Faintly, there was a vein showing through her skin. The vein was not a normal color, it was black. Her time is coming close then…

"It won't be long now Brother. Her power is surging within her subconscious. Whatever her power is, it must be strong to start manifesting so suddenly. Whatever her mother's true heritage was can now be determined by what power she will obtain."

I told Thor, but our conversation didn't continue. Stark arrived with a battered and human looking Banner. After quickly strapping in Banner, Stark shouted,

"Let's go now. There's a city full of angry and confused people out there."

Daphne's P-O-V

When my eyes opened, I saw that I was now in the jet. We all were. Clint was flying. I heard Nat's voice and I shifted my eyes to see her by Bruce,

"When are you going to learn to trust me?"

When Bruce didn't answer, she turned to the demigod,

"Thor, what's the update in the Hulk?"

"The gates of Hel are filled with the screams of his victims!"

Nat glared at Thor and he then tried to rephrase his statement,

"But not the screams of the dead, of course. No, no... wounded screams... mainly whimpering, a great deal of complaining and tales of sprained deltoids and... gout."

Natasha rolled her eyes but Bruce dipped his head low. I groaned as I sat up. My whole body felt exhausted even though I just woke up. Everyone turned towards me, my head felt like there was a ton of pressure on it,

"What happened? The last thing I saw was Wanda and then nothing."

Loki explained everything to me, about what he saw and heard after I went unconscious.

"So….you're saying, that I already witnessed my worst nightmare?"

"Most likely. It's either that or you don't fear anything at all. You were out for some time, so we all looked at your file again," Loki replied. Steve asked,

"You really don't remember anything before you parents adopted you? It said that the date of birth that you gave was not in the system of any recorded birth with any matches to your description. January 27th 1996. It's possible that you were never registered as a citizen in any country."

I answered Steve's question calmly,

"Even after 4 years, nothing has come back. All I knew was my supposed date of birth. My parents and I decided on my name as we filled out the adoption papers. I don't even remember how I was found. I remember seeing a wooded area and then being in that hospital in Baltimore, being asked a ton of questions, being officially put into the system, and my parents adopting me."

Stark had my file in his hand,

"It says that upon your awakening, you were donated textbooks and such for your expected GPA and IQ average for your expected age. You finished those within a day and asked for something hard. They then proceeded in presenting you with advanced textbooks, then highly advanced, and then scholarly textbooks. You got every problem in each book correct without having to check your answers or use a calculator. You had no difficulty, so they decided it would be best for you to just go to a Ivy League college and start a career at the expected age of 14."

Tony sounded impressed and I laughed lightly, but my headed started pounding,

"I told you that I'm smart, more like a genius, but I don't like to brag. So, where are we headed, Hawkeye?"

Clint looked at me with uncertainty,

"Somewhere that should be safe."

I left it at that. The rest of the ride was silent. Clint landed us in the woods. I took off my gun and blade belt, but my whips stayed on me. We all follow him to the supposed safe house. Upon seeing it, I immediately thought of coziness and relaxation. as we entered the house a very pregnant woman approached us and kissed Clint. Stark stumbled,

"This is an agent of some kind."

My two kids, a boy and girl, ran into the room screaming,

"Daddy!"

Again, Stark stumbled,

"These are….smaller agents. "

At this I smile. The kids turned and saw Natasha,

"Auntie Nat!"

They been bombarded Herman's big hugs. Then I looked at the scene of an awkward happiness. In fact, everyone else, including me, but and Loki look surprised. Loki was standing next to me,

"Did you know?" I asked and he replied with a short nod, I had to give Loki some credit. He had Barton brainwashed, knew about his family, and didn't harm them. My attention turned to Natasha as she bent in front of Laura, Clint's wife's belly, and asked,

"How's little Natasha doing in there?"

"Actually, it's Nathaniel."

Natasha playfully glared at the woman's belly,

"Traitor."

I laughed. Today had a surprise at every turn.

 **Updating times will vary. I apologize for long delays.**


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Truth and the Lie

The sun has fallen in Clint's children were in bed. As for the rest of us, we begin discussing our next plan of attack. Thor went off on his own, not even telling Loki where he was going. Something in his vision/nightmare certainly troubled him. Stark and Steve were arguing heatedly back and forth about what to do. I got to mean when they started talking about stopping at twins, hurting them. Natasha saw my reaction and nudged the guys to shut up.

"Daphne, they truly believe that they are doing the right thing here."

Loki spoke softly to me. I shook my head,

"Pietro starting to doubt that revenge even the right thing. It's cost them both greatly. Now that I've had contact with them, they are starting to regret everything. If it comes to a fight between us, let me handle it. I wouldn't forgive any of you for killing them. but if I must do it, I can bear the guilt."

"Let us hope it doesn't come to that," Loki stated.

I sighed. Pietro and Wands aren't bad people, in fact, they were all for non-violence before they left. Of course they were protective of me, sure they kept their secrets, but they treated everyone with respect. They treated me like a sister, even now.

"Where could they be taking the vibranium?"

Tony asked all of us and a light bulb went off,

"Hey, I remember Agent Hill mentioning a doctor that like 3D prints skins over wounds or something. Could this doctor be able to bring the cradle to life as well? I mean, Ultron has been transporting from one robotic body to another. I think he wants something more permanent and indestructible."

Everyone in the room's eyes went wide,

"Dr. Cho."

Tony held his head in his hands,

"Ultron is probably halfway there, her facility is in Seoul. But, we all need rest. We'll head out tomorrow at dawn. I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to be a long day."

As we all began to stand up, Bruce quickly announced,

"Tony, Loki, and I should head back to the lab to see if there's anymore we can do from there. I don't want to be anywhere where that witch- where Wanda can get to the Hulk."

Steve laid down a plan,

"That's perfectly fine. Natasha, Clint, Daphne, and I will steal the cradle. Daphne, you and I will fight off Ultron while Nat and Clint get the cradle. If you see the twins, it's your call."

After that, we all headed upstairs and got some much needed sleep. I was sharing a room with Loki. Luckily, this God of Mischief was just as tired as I was. Laying my my bed, I could feel his gaze on me, but I drifted to sleep before I could make any complaint. In the back on my mind, I knew that Loki and Thor were hiding something from all of us and I intend to find out what it is.

 _*~~~~~~~~~~~~Dream/Nightmare_

 _I was held down to the ground by 4 of Ultron's look-a-likes. Each held either one of my arms or legs. Pietro and Wanda were standing to my right, looking down at me as the main Ultron, who was up in the air above me, said,_

" _Such a waste. You could've been a glorious minion of mine. But you chose to be a hero….an Avenger. Avengers are not needed in the world I'm creating. That means, you are not necessary to me."_

 _I began to squirm, trying to get out of the Ultron-bots grip. They never faltered, so I began to call out to my brother and sister,_

" _Wanda! Pietro! You were supposed to protect me. You were supposed to be my family. Don't let him do this! Please."_

 _The twins looked at me with straight faces. The only emotion came from their voices as they talked in sync,_

" _You abandoned us. You will pay the price."_

 _Ultron's hand turned into a blaster, much like Tony's. It made a sound as though it was loading for a massive blast. Looking into Ultron's red eyes, I didn't blink or scream as the blaster aimed for me. I accepted my fate. I was not afraid of death. I watched in slow motion as the beam of fire came at me in slow motion. I hardly felt anything but one thing was clear, I was surrounded by the fire and contempt with it._

 _*~~~~~~~~End of Dream/Nightmare_

I shot upward in the bed. A hand was on my shoulder and my instincts kicked in. Grabbing the hand and twisting it behind my assailants back,

"It's just me Daphne. It's Loki."

It took a moment for his words to seep through my sleepy haze. Once they did, I released him and held his arm apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Loki. I was having a nightmare…."

He raised his eyebrows but did not pull away from my touching his arm.

"Realy? You were sleeping like the dead. I woke you because it is almost time for us to go. We leave in an hour. Laura is fixing us breakfast as well."

Nodding, I ran into the bathroom for a quick shower. When I came out Loki was dressed in his traditional garments. He had my uniform in his hands.

"You know Loki, you should try wearing the clothes of us midgardians. I think your body build is perfectly suitable for a suit. But I doubt that would be comfortable in battle."

Loki smile and blushed slightly at my compliment,

"So, what was your nightmare about?"

"The twins, my brother and sister, they let Ultron kill me."

Loki shook his head and stood up, handing me my clothes,

"They won't let you get harmed, let alone die. Your family loves you."

"How would you know?" I asked him uncertainly.

"Because," Loki said, looking me in the eyes,

"The people that love you will do anything to keep you safe and happy."

Loki began to turn away from me.

"You're hiding something from me Loki. You and THor. What do you know?"

Loki's eyes rippled with emotions at the sound of my tone. He resorted to shaking his head lightly and stepped away from me,

"Don't lie to me Loki. Tell me, please."

Loki stared into my eyes and I saw pain, pain that he was trying so hard to hide.

"Drea….I can't tell you-"

He stopped himself and teleported himself out of the room. The look of pain on Loki's face was etched into my mind. Now I had another question on my mind: who the hell is Drea?

 **Updating times will vary. Sorry for the long delays. I am editing as I rewrtite chapters to eventually flow into Captain America: Civil War.**


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: It's Never Too Late

Natasha, Clint, Steve, and I dropped Tony, Bruce, and the God of Mischief (who avoided any eye contact with me) at the Tower. We were now a few miles from Dr. Cho's lab. Our detectors saw that the cradle was on the move and we, made a b-line for it. Steve went ahead to see what was carrying it. A large truck. He found his way onto the roof of the truck and Ultron immediately went after Steve. Natasha got on the motorcycle in the quinjet, I got on behind her. My weapons were fully loaded and ready to go. We were dropped onto street and raced up to the truck. Seeing Steve's shield in middle of road, Nat picked it up and placed it in front on the handlebars of the motorcycle just as we started getting shot at.

"Nat! You get inside the truck and I'll go help Steve."

We were almost bumper to wheel with the truck. With Steve's shield at hand, I took hold of the bars as Nat broke off the lock to the back door. Handing me the shield she jumped in. Balancing my feet on the seat of the motorcycle, I stood up and jumped onto the on the moving truck. Quickly climbing up the open door, I got onto the roof.

"Steve!"

I called to him and threw his shield in his direction. He caught it and then proceeded in beating the Ultron -bot. We were lucky that Ultron hadn't transferred into the cradle yet. Another Ultron-bot came onto the roof. This one aimed for me. Within two seconds, my gun was aimed and shooting at its head. I shouted into my earpiece,

"Nat, any progress?"

"Can use a little help."

Was her reply. Steve nodded to me,

"I got this, go help Nat."

I made my way to the back of the truck when I felt it begin to lift from the ground. The truck tilted and I lost my footing, almost sliding off of the truck, but I got a firm grip the rim. Nat was holding onto the straps keeping the cradle still to keep from falling out.. She was close enough to me that she held her hand out for me to grab. Pulling me in, we made our way to either side of the cradle. I handed her one of my daggers and we began to cut the straps simultaneously. When we got to the last one, we for Clint,

"Barton, we're ready!"

A few seconds passed by and I saw the jet gliding towards us with the back hatch open. It was then that I saw how high up we were. over a thousand feet off of the ground. We cut the last strap and the cradle went sliding into the jet. That's when the truck began to shake, the roof was peeled open to reveal Ultron. He aimed for me as he leapt down and into the back of the truck. But Nat pushed me out of the way Unfortunately, she also unintentionally pushed me out of the truck itself. The gap between the jet and the truck was too wide and I was free-falling. I heard Nat shout into her earpiece, but I couldn't see her,

"Go Clint, before he-"

Her voice was cut off. I was falling to the ground below. The jet tried to swerve to catch me, but he was too far away. I could see the ground getting closer, yet I didn't scream or close my eyes. Turning, my back was to the ground and I looked to the sky as I waited for the impact. It was when I was only four feet from the ground that I found myself standing on my feet. Strong arms were around my waist. My lungs felt like they'd been clenched and I leaned over gasping for air. The arms released me and I looked up to see Pietro. He was looking at me in relief. His arms were around me again in an instant and this time, I was able to take a breath in before finding ourselves on a speeding train. It took me a moment to adjust to see Steve and Ultron fighting. Steve was losing. Pietro ran past Ultron at high speed, knocking Ultron off of his feet. The whole train jerked, we were running out of tracks and going too fast to stop. Ultron flew out of the train and I shouted to Pietro,

"Can you clear the civilians from our path?"

He simply nodded urgently to me before disappearing from my sight. Steve turned to Wanda who was in the back corner of the train car,

"Can you use your powers to stop this train?"

She glanced at me and her gaze seemed to linger,

"I do not know, but I will try."

A red mist flowed from her hands and her eyes glowed red. The mist encased the train but looking at my sister, I saw that she was straining. Without a second thought I came to her side and held her hand. Immediately, the mist grew and her power enhanced as the train's brakes slammed down. I felt something in me ripple from me to her. In a few short seconds, the train was at a complete stop. Letting go of her hand, I felt confused and worn out. Unconsciousness came to me as I saw Steve's arms reaching towards my falling figure.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* Wanda's P-O-V  
Steve caught my sister before she hit the ground. Both of us staring at her with wide eyes. Somehow, she added-no, she gave me energy that heightened my power. I can still feel it within me now. With Daphne secure in Steve's arms, we got off of the train. People were looking towards the train in question and worry. I looked for my brother and he was easy to spot. His silver hair was damp with sweat as he leaned over taking deep breaths. Today was the first time my brother and I were able to use our powers with such amplitude and for such a heavy task. I went to Pietro's side,

"Brother? Are you well?"

He nodded and turned his head to Steve who held our little sister. Worry became evident on his face.

"She is alright. Only tired. We are going to help them now. We will tell them everything we know….especially Ultron's plan."

Again he nodded,

"We will keep our Daphne safe and we won't let her go so easily this time."

Standing straight, Pietro went to Steve and took Daphne into his arms, bridal style. I sincerely hoped that our sister was fine. The sensation of what she gave me was like adrenaline, giving me life. Maybe, somehow she is like Pietro and I. Maybe she is enhanced herself. But from what I know about HYDRA, my brother and I's powers came from our DNA. They only tampered with our genetic codes through painful and strenuous experiments to unlock our powers. Could Daphne have had this power come to her without experimentation? Could her power naturally evolved? There is a term I have heard in the minds of the HYDRA scientists and agents. People who have powers that vary due to their genetic code and genetic links. Mutants.

Steve cut me out of my thoughts, talking into his earpiece,

"Clint? Do you read me? We need a lift?"

Moments passed before the jet came into view. The hatch open, we all ran into it and immediately took off. Pietro and I sat on either side of Daphne. Still unconscious, her head lay on Pietro's shoulder, but eventually she was laying half on him and half on me. Her body was so limp that we had to keep an arm around her just to stop her from moving. My brother and I noticed that the cradle was nowhere to be seen. Before we could question it Daphne drew our attention. She began shaking her head slightly, her eyes moving rapidly behind her eyelids. She then started mumbling in Russian,

"нет. Существует не более смерть ... только жизнь."

Steve heard her mumbling, he was sitting across from us.

"What's she saying?"

Pietro looked at Steve to reply,

"I think it would be best to discuss it when she is awake. There is much to tell you all."

Nodding, I agreed with my brother. The rest of the ride was in silence as Steve got some sleep. My brother and I spoke telepathically.

'She is different. She has changed Wanda.'

'I know. I can sense something different about her. It's within her, not just her mind. It may have been there when we first met her. I just know it is powerful.'

'It is on the outside as well. Look at her temples.'

Pietro gently pushed Daphne's hair from her face to give me a better view. On her temples were black veins. Hesitantly, I raised my hand to one of her temples. Pietro said to me,

'Be careful sister and be gentle.'

As soon as my fingertips touched her temples, I was inside of Daphne's mind, in her head.

Daphne was sitting in a wooden rocking chair. Swaying back and forth. Darkness surrounded us, but light illuminated her figure like a spotlight was above her. She was singing a song I would not recognize softly. Her expression was pure calmness as I watched her . Her eyes were closed and she stopped humming,

"Wanda."

Whispering my name, she opened her eyes and they looked directly at me.

"I can feel you. I know you are here with me, but I cannot see you. All I can see is the darkness. Light surrounds me but darkness is all I seem to see. There is so much, I am blinded by it. I am the light that reveals what is in the dark. I reveal the truth and never lie about the truth."

Words could not come out of my mouth. Daphne was still rocking in her chair.

"There is life in the light, as I am sure you know. There is so little of it around me. In the darkness is death and that is what surrounds me the most. There is so much death and I can feel it. I can feel the hurt and pain, but I don't remember….The only deaths I know were our parents. Death outweighs life….I can change that."

I took a few steps closer to my sister to find my voice,

"How, Daphne?"

At this, she stood with her eyes open. Her eyes were pools of black, like glossy tar. Those dark veins now outlined her face and I saw something I never thought I'd see in my sister, hopelessness.

"Love me."

The words echoed all around. There was so much loss and pain in her words,

"Keep loving me. You and Pietro are the only lights I have left. Without love, there is only darkness and who can love the darkness. You can be drawn to it, attracted to it, desire it, but who could love it. Who could love me other than you and Pietro. I need your love to stay within the light. I was barely getting through on my own. Since our parents died, I had nobody left to love me or give me love to. Everyone left me behind, abandoned me, or didn't love me. You'll probably abandon me again..."

Taking more steps to my sister, who had steady tears flowing down her cheeks,

"Pietro and I love you and always will. We meant you no harm before or now. Is that not enough that we are here now?"

Daphne shrugged and all the darkness grew bright as our scenery changed. We were in Sokovia. At my brother and I's old home. Daphne looked directly at me now,

"I can see you now, Wanda. The darkness is so blinding it's easy to get lost in it, to lose your way and your mind. It's an abyss."

She came to me and grabbed my hands. Smiling at me with a sad expression,

"You and Pietro tossed me into an abyss. You left me behind. You abandoned me. Yet, you say you loved me the entire time. Was my love for you and Pietro not enough when you decided to leave me?! All I ever wanted was a family. A complete family. We had it too, then you two left..."

My heart skipped a beat at her sharp words. Her words left me to choose my words carefully. I could sense the darkness playing in her mind as the darkness surrounded us once more.

"Daphne, it was nothing like that to us. We never thought we would hurt you. We did not leave because we did not love you or our adoptive parents."

"Oh, I know. You left us for your precious revenge."

Daphne's tone was dangerous and fear wanted to creep into my mind, but I pushed the feeling away. My sister would never harm those she loves.

"That was our mistake. One that we deeply regret Daphne."

Almost immediately, she calmed down. Once again, she was sitting in that rocking chair, moving back and forth. She looked desolate,

"We will help you through this Daphne. As our sister, we love you, no matter how far apart we may be."

"I believe you Wanda and I trust you and Pietro. The Asgardians however….they are hiding something from me. I am certain of it. But leave that matter to me."

Blink. My eyelids closed over my eyes for a split second and I was out of Daphne's mind. She was now awake in Pietro's arms but shaking slightly as though she was freezing. Pietro held her like a child, swaying her back and forth in his arms while humming to her a Sokovian song. Her right hand was in his and….dare I say it. They looked so darn cute. If we were not in this particular situation- having to save the world- maybe they could be more. I mean, Daphne is not related to us by blood, so there should not be any problem. Knowing the personalities of my sister and brother, I know that they would make a good match. I only need to get Pietro to see Daphne as more than our little sister.

Pietro glanced at me to see if everything was alright and I reassured him.

'Do not worry. brother. She is like us. I am not entirely sure how, but it is different from how we acquired our powers. She wants us to help her to understand her ability, and whatever her true power is, it is strong and dangerous.'

'But, does she forgive us, sister?'

'Yes, of course, but she does still hurt. We hurt her deeply and just because she still loves us that does not mean that she will cling to us as things were before. She likes to stand alone now. Up until a few days ago, she did not even know if we were alive. She does not want to depend on us again, she believes we will desert her again.'

'I won't leave our baby sister alone ever again. Wherever she goes, we go. Do you think that…if we were to leave after all of this…would Daphne come with us?'

We both looked down at our Daphne, knowing that she isn't the Daphne we knew, and we still love her.

'I would want nothing more, but she loves her line of work and we couldn't take her from what she was meant to do-save others. And we need to train with our powers, we can help others as well, if the Avengers allow us to.'

'What power does Daphne have?'

My gaze was focused only on Daphne, her eyes staring at the ceiling of the jet absentmindedly,

"Life…energy...soul."

Translation:

 _No. There is no more death... only life._

 **Updates will vary. I sincerely apologize for long delays. I am rewriting upcoming chapters to flow into captain America: Civil War when I eventually get the story to that point.**


	7. Chapter 6: Askew and New

Chapter 6: Askew and New

By time we got to Stark's tower, it was nightfall and we knew that Tony was going to try to create a better Ultron this time. Pietro and Wanda refused to leave my side. We rushed off of the jet and into Tony's lab. We knew you had the cradle and we had to stop him before matters got worse.

"Stark!"

Steve shouted as we all entered the lab room. Loki, Bruce, and Tony stood around the cradle. The electrical jolts surging into the cradle were blatantly visible. Pietro took matters into his own hands, running from my side using his power to unplug all of the cords giving the cradle power. When he stopped moving, he had a large cord in his hand. Then a pop sounded through the room and the glass tile under Pietro's feet shattered. As Pietro fell through the floor we saw a grinning Clint underneath with a gun in his hand,

"What? You didn't see that coming?"

A hint of a smile played on my face, but I regained my composure. Steve directed everyone's attention back to the issue at hand,

"Again Stark, wasn't the first attempt proof that this is a horrible idea?"

Tony's eyebrows shot up,

"This is different, it's going to work."

I looked to Bruce,

"Do you honestly think it will work this time?"

Bruce nodded and Loki replied,

"It has to….."

Pietro crawled out of the hole was the glass tile once was. More glass shattered as Clint and Pietro got to their feet. Thor came crashing down through an upper window. His hammer in his hand as electrical currents were visible as he aimed the lightning he conjured at the cradle. Loki shouted,

"What are you doing?!"

The lights in the tower blew out as the power emitted from the hammer shorted out the power. Everyone was silent. Pietro and Wanda stood at either of my sides in a protective manner. The top of the cradle opened, white smoke floated over the top edges of the cradle. A figure burst out of the cloud of smoke. Its movements coordinated but sloppy, like a baby trying to walk for the first time. The figure was hovering several feet above all of us. Facing the windows, looking at the night sky. The moon illuminated the figure and it's colors. It looked like a man. But I knew that the substance in that container was anything but that. This was a robot, a humanoid. It looked off in the distance. From the outline of the figure, it was male. It then spoke,

"What am I?"

Steve uttered,

"Ultron?"

"No," I interjected.

"His voice, he sounds like JARVIS."

The humanoid turned to us. His face was not like Ultron's.

"I am not Ultron, or JARVIS. I do not want what Ultron wishes."

Wanda took a step forward,

"I looked into your mind. I saw the destruction."

He looked directly at Wanda,

"Look again."

Thor stood close to the android. His stance wasn't threatening,

"Ultron placed an infinity stone, the mind gem, on him. It is now a part of him. It glows now with life as this being is alive."

Bruce looked quizzical towards the humanoid,

"All that matters is, is he with us, or against us."

Thor addressed us once more,

"He is. In the vision Wanda gave me, I saw many things."

He glanced at me and Loki did as well.

"Vision is his name. He sees the world in truth and belief. That is the gems ability. Thus, Loki's scepter."

"This means that the other infinity stones are out in the other realms and realms we do not know. The Chitari never told me what my scepter held. They must have known….they will come after it and me with intent on death once they rebuild what we destroyed."

It was very rare for Loki to show his emotions, so seeing fear lacing his entire being was unsettling. His eyes held fear that was unfamiliar. I came to his side,

"Loki, as an Avenger, you have your team and me to protect you. I wouldn't have my job at S.H.I.E.L.D. without you guys. Who knows where I'd be if you guys hadn't been in New York. Who knows what organization I could be working for right now."

Vision observed Loki,

"Something else seems to be bothering him."

Thor came to his brother's side, looking at me all the while,

"I think now would be the best time to tell her, Loki."

Loki turned to look at me and nodded to the Avengers,

"You all will want to sit for this story."

I was sandwiched between my brother and sister. Wanda sat on my left, holding my left hand, and Pietro on my right, holding my right hand. All of the Avengers sat in chairs and couches in the room. Loki and Thor sat directly adjacent from me. Nobody said a word for a few minutes. Tony had a glass of hard liquor in his hand. Everyone on the room looked tense. Loki rubbed his hands on his thighs in nervousness. He swallowed thickly before looking me in the eye.

"Daphne. On your records, it is stated that you have no memory of your life before you were found and brought to that hospital. Your records state that your date of birth is January 27th, 1996, but Thor I have known you for almost a century."

My pupils went wide and Pietro and Wanda held my hands a little tighter. Loki continued, no longer able to look me in the eye,

"We thought that you had died. A month after your death, we found out that your mother was not fully human as we had assumed since we first met her. Your mother hid her true self from all of us, even after her death centuries ago. Your father is of Asgard. He is a friend to Thor and our father, Odin. He is the gatekeeper of our realm. Heimdall. You and I became friends in our last few years of schooling. After that, my mother took you under her wing. She taught you magic that was above my skill of trickery and deception. You learned magic for good and you welded it to help others. You have a sister as well.

An older sister. You hated her most of your life. With her being the apple of your father's eye, you took time to warm up to others. This changed when she ran away with Thor's companion, Fandral's, younger brother to a lesser known realm where your father could not reach them and bring them back. You helped her get away from Asgard. You see, she was with child and she was not married then. No one knew except for you, me, her, and Fandral's younger brother. That was not the only reason you helped her escape. Her and I were arranged to be married. Neither of us wanted to marry one another because our hearts already belonged to someone else. But, you resented me for the arrangement because you still harbored bitter feelings towards her. It took days for me to get the three of us alone so that we could talk.

We came to you, Drea, to help us. Though Regina was your birth name, when you were taken under my mother's wing, you changed it to Drea. You gladly helped us solve our issues once we explained our predicament. It was this that cause you and your sister to make up and clean the slate. You took them to a portal that I did not even know about. It was you that gave them the freedom to live a peaceful life. However, your father was infuriated. He thought the worst. He thought that you had acted out of jealousy. But I was by your side to defend you and that is what rekindled our friendship.

The joy of rendering the arranged marriage to a halt and being your friend once more was short lived. Hardly a week passed before Asgard was attacked."

Thor now took the lead as Loki looked emotionally exhausted.

"In battle, you fought amongst our fellow Asgardian warriors. You fought alongside my brother, our friends, and I. Having little training in combat, you did extraordinarily well. You wielded a sword and blade as though you were born to do so. You used your magic to your benefit and ours, shielding us from the blast of their weapons. But as more and more kept coming, you, Loki, and I went to protect my mother. They were trying to corner her and we had to fight through them to protect her. We got through them fast enough. You got to the Queen's side before any of us got halfway. You never called for help, as Loki and I were caught up in making sure no more got through our everyone of our enemies fell when a scream erupted from behind us. They all fell in pain and none of our warriors were affected. We quickly used that to our advantage. Finishing off the remaining and taking a few prisoners, Loki and I ran to the source of the scream."

Loki took over once more. His voice strained and holding back his emotions as best as Loki can,

"It was our mother who had screamed. She was not harmed, it took us moments to realize the source of the blood. You were in her arms. Blood was gushing from our torso. Your eyes open and gazing at the starlit sky. The attack had started at sunset and ended after nightfall. You always loved to look at the stars…. Our mother held you in her arms. She was weeping….we had never seen her cry before. We never thought we would. I never thought I would see you not breathing either. Your eyes held so little life in them. It….you….The last thing you had said to me was that you would be okay. You told Thor and I that you would protect the Queen at all costs. But none of us wanted it to cost your life. We never got to say good-bye to you. I never got to be by your side as you took your last breaths. One moment, you were fighting by my side, the next, you were gone.

Odin came as soldiers began to gather around us all. Seeing that our mother was fine, he breathed a sigh of relief, but then he saw you. He immediately has a handful of soldiers leave to bring your father to the palace."

Loki's eyes reflected the story and his grief. Everyone in the room felt more uneasy. I was dead. I was supposed to be dead. Loki continued,

"When Heimdall arrived, you were then in my arms. I cradled you in my arms with my mother beside me on the floor. She thought of you as her daughter and you thought of her as your mother. He almost didn't react when he saw you. Your eyes were still centered on the stars. But when it dawned on him that you were not breathing, began breaking down in distress. He stormed through the soldiers in his path. When he stood before me, I rose with you in my arms. I had never seen him look so saddened before. When your mother died, he was angry more than anything. She had committed suicide and that is especially rare in our culture and realm. When your sister and her husband left, he was furious. But it was for you that he showed pain and grief. I placed you in his arms and he everyone in the palace bowed in respect. You gave your life to protect the queen. You gave your life when no one asked you to. We lost no warriors. No innocent commoners. You, Drea, were the only casualty. You were dead! I held you in my arms myself. How you are here now, with no memory of your life, I cannot understand!"

All was quiet throughout the room. Wanda's head rest on my shoulder and Pietro's on my other. I hadn't realized I was crying. Loki and I were locked in each other's gaze. Wanda then spoke,

"Существует не более смерть ... только жизнь."

Steve turned to her, as did the rest of the Avengers. Wanda repeated herself, but in english

"There is no more death. Only life. That is what she was saying on the jet back here. Daphne is like Pietro and I somehow. It isn't her Asgardian blood that made her like us….it is something genetic. Stryker's tests and experiments only made the mutation in our genes, Pietro's and I's powers, active because they had been dominant. In time, they may have become present later on in our lives. But for one to have powers, the genes have to be already present within the person. Daphne's must've activated when she died. More likely, the moment her heart stopped. Her power is like an energy, like a soul. It is alive and it gives life to the dying and dead."

My heart was beating so loudly that I could hear it pounding in my ears. My breathing was in shallow quick breaths. A spark was igniting deep in my mind. Pressure was building and my heart felt like it was being squeezed. I hadn't realized my eyes were closed and that I no longer held Wanda or Pietro's hand. My hands were in fists as I was hunched over. Slowly, I looked up to find everyone looking at me. My eyes were on Loki and Thor,

"How long ago was this? When did I die?"

The Asgardians glanced at each other before Thor took the initiative to reply,

"Approximately 16 years ago. I suspect that it could have been around the time of year where it snows when you died. Loki and I have an issue with this. Your memory only extends to the day you were found four years ago. For you to have a date of birth...it may be possible that you were literally reborn after you died..."

No more words could be said. I stood up to excuse myself from the room. Instead, I blacked out as soon as I balanced my feet on the ground.


End file.
